Valia and Nikos reside in the US and planned a destination wedding in Gytheio, the city with the island aura. When Valia arrived in Greece a month prior to her wedding she started to prepare all the wedding details, always keeping in mind to make her future husband happy: “Nikos always told me that he truly wanted to enjoy the wedding ceremony and to have a wedding that was like…a vacation for us and all our guests!”.
Valia wore a lovely urban style wedding dress by Pronovias. It had delicate gauze and straps with precious stones that merged beautifully in the back part of the dress, leaving it uncovered.
The A line wedding dress had a flattering V neck that emphasized the bride’s bare shoulders. The bodice featured a soft draping and the skirt accentuated the urban air of the dress with the skirt’s half train. “It was the first wedding dress I tried on andit was the one I chose in the end to wear on my wedding day. I wanted a light, airy and summer wedding dress…that was also stylish. I wanted to enjoy my wedding day, so anything that would be heavy and bulky would not make me feel comfortable. I tried on a few more dresses …only because I knew I wouldn’t be given the chance to try on wedding gowns again”.
Valia got prepared for her wedding day at the Hotel Castello Antico, a quaint village with stone houses that look like castles and gravel roads. The hotel is surrounded with olive trees and botanical gardens.
The bride mentioned: “I liked the idea of the monogram glitter tattoo with my husband’s initial that I had made on my ankle”.
The bridal makeup had bronze and earthy colors and the hairstyle that Valia chose was a loose bun in order to reveal the stunning wedding dress design on her back.
Nikos proposed to Valia…during a Skype conversation with her father! Valia told us: “It was New Year’s Eve in Florida and Nikos asked me to marry him a quarter to twelve (Greek time) and my father said jokingly that he would answer him next year… Initially he didn’t realize the time difference and he started to get worried…then after 15 minutes when it was officially the New Year, my father gave us his blessing!”
The most beautiful moment for Valia was: “The entire day went by so beautifully. Maybe the fact that on the same morning we went swimming with all our relatives and friends…helped us relax. My girlfriends that traveled from Athens to be with me on my day with their happy and playing mood as I getting ready, also created a festive environment”. The bride also mentioned that a wonderful moment for her was when she saw from the top of the hill as she was walking to the church, all the wedding guests waiting for her.
“A very emotional moment was when my father gave my hand to my husband and told him in a shaky voice to love me and to make me happy…another precious moment was when my sister was beside me as we walked to the church, holding my hand and without words telling me that for one more time she there beside me when I am afraid or feeling weak…when my aunt Annoula, right before I left for the church, looked at me with tears in her eyes, as if I was her daughter getting married”.
“I wanted to have vivid images, flavors and scents from the Greek tradition and especially form my hometown Gytheio. I also wanted to create for all my guests a summer vacation mood. The church we chose to have the ceremony was literally surrounded by the sea with a colorful backdrop of the city of Gytheio”
The bride’s advice to all the other couples that are planning their own wedding: “I would give the same advice that my best friend gave me: The wedding day will go by so fast, so try to do whatever it takes to enjoy the day to its fullest and to savor all precious moments and images. Definitely something will go wrong…however don’t allow anyone to ruin your mood!”
The wedding reception followed at Belle Helene Hotel.
“When I asked Nikos if he enjoyed our wedding day, he answered that it was exactly how he wanted it to be…his answer was the best reward for me”
“Our wedding was full of genuine emotions that really touched our souls and authentic memories that found a special place in our thoughts and heart”. Heartfelt words from real bride.
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